


All Our Wrath and Cutting Beauty

by monicawoe, quickreaver



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Death, Demon Dean Winchester, Episode: s04e16 On the Head of a Pin, Fire, Gen, Horror, Mind Control, Sam Winchester's Demonic Powers, Superpowers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2011-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monicawoe/pseuds/monicawoe, https://archiveofourown.org/users/quickreaver/pseuds/quickreaver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(This is an AU that begins during 4x16 'On the Head of a Pin' - opening dialogue is borrowed from that episode.)</p><p>Sam killed Alistair, but not before Alistair reminded Dean of who and what he'd become in Hell. Dean knows Sam can take down Lilith, and he'll make damn sure Sam gets strong enough to do just that. They'll stop the Apocalypse -- together, no matter how many bodies stack up, or how much blood is spilt.</p><p>This was written for spn-reversebang - art by the magnificent quickreaver! Her prompt started it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [All Our Wrath and Cutting Beauty / Вся наша ярость и опасная красота](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10429398) by [sverhanutaya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sverhanutaya/pseuds/sverhanutaya)



> Go tell quickreaver how amazing her art is:  
> [art masterpost](http://quickreaver.livejournal.com/26629.html)

 

Dean poured salt over Ruby's knife.

"The first time you picked up my razor -- the first time you sliced into that _weeping_ bitch, that was the first seal." Alistair said.

"You're lying."

" _And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. As he breaks, so shall it break_."

Dean turned his back to Alistair and walked away, his eyes burning.

"We had to break the first seal before any others, only way to get the dominoes to fall right. Topple the one at the front of the line." Alistair leaned his head back, looked up and said, "When we win -- when we bring on the Apocalypse and burn this Earth down, we'll owe it all to you, Dean Winchester. Believe me son, I wouldn't lie about that. It's kind of a..." he dropped his gaze to the left, and noticed water dripping from a leaky pipe, right onto the outline of the Devil's Trap, "...religious sort of thing."

"No, I don't think you are lying." Dean said, his eyes closed. He turned back to face Alistair, who had snuck up directly behind him, and jammed the salted blade through his chest, in between two of his ribs. Dean twisted the blade slowly, "I just don't think you understand exactly how _much_ you broke me."

Alistair gasped in pain.

Dean grinned, and felt a rush of pleasure flow through him. Alistair thought he could hurt him -- make him feel guilty, but this, _this_ right here -- wringing the truth from his old teacher, was far more important. He didn't need more guilt. What he needed was to hear Alistair beg -- over and over again. He slid the blade in another inch, up towards the bottom of Alistair's heart and prodded at it, delicately.

Alistair made a pained, wheezing noise, but when he caught Dean's gaze he stopped, and nearly laughed. " _There_ you are." Alistair said, with a bloodied grin. "I _knew_ you were still in there. All we had to do was _push_." he coughed and more blood spilled out of his mouth, "Here I thought I'd be the one to bring you back home, but it was --" he coughed again and then laughed gleefully, "it was the angels that put you up to it."

Dean took a step back, confused.

"It's just so _poetic_. Here I was, _furious_ with those winged halfwits for undoing all my hard work, but..." he grinned at Dean with pride, "...you're still _you_. They just buried your best parts."

"What the Hell are you -- ?" Dean started to ask.

Alistair lunged forward, grabbed Dean by the neck and bent him down over the cart his supplies were on. He knocked the bottles and trays off and shoved Dean's face down towards the shiny metallic surface.

Dean saw his face and his eyes -- his _black_ eyes -- staring back at him.

Alistair slammed Dean's head forward onto the cart -- again and again. He pulled Dean back up, spun him around and punched him. Dean tried to catch himself on the cart, but instead of steadying himself, the sharp corner of the cart dug a gash into his forearm.

Alistair grabbed Dean by the hair and slammed him onto the cart one last time. Dean fell to the floor -- bleeding and unconscious.

Castiel entered the room and stabbed Alistair with Ruby's knife -- aiming for his heart, but hitting just below his shoulder instead.

"Almost." Alistair said, "God is on my side today."

Castiel twisted the blade, and Alistair winced, but pulled the blade out. They fought until Alistair shoved Castiel up against the wall and pinned him on a hook.

"Well, like roaches, you celestials. Now, I really wish I knew how to kill you. But all I can do is send you back to heaven." Alistair began to chant, forcing Castiel out of his vessel and back to heaven, when he was suddenly slammed against the far wall.

Sam was striding towards him, his hand outstretched.

"Stupid pet tricks." muttered Alistair.

"Who's murdering the angels? How are they doing it?" Sam asked.

"You think I'm gonna tell you?" Alistair smirked.

"Yeah, I do." Sam said, and twisted his hand, squeezing Alistair's soul. "How are the demons killing angels?"

"I don't know." Alistair growled, in pain.

"Right."

"It's not us. We're not doing it." Alistair's voice strained, and he marveled at the sheer strength of Sam's hold.

"I don't believe you." Sam was going to get the truth from Alistair. He knew he could. He would drag the truth out of Alistair's stolen mouth and then he'd kill him, slowly.

"Lilith is not behind this. She wouldn't kill seven angels. She'd kill a hundred, a thousand."

Sam dropped his hand, and Alistair's agony subsided, but he was still pinned against the wall.

"Go ahead. Send me back, if you can."

"I'm stronger than that now. Now I can kill." Sam said, unable to hide the pride in his voice. He held his palm out again, and Alistair lit up -- burning from the inside. Sam let the rush of power flow through him and felt a strange sense of calm as Alistair suffered the full force of his fury.

Castiel stared at Sam, dumbfounded, while Alistair screamed in agony as golden light ripped his soul to shreds.

Alistair died far too quickly. He gasped one final time -- a pained, wheezing sound -- as Sam's power burned the last fragments of him. His dead, empty vessel slumped to the floor.

Sam glanced at Castiel, then back at his brother's unconscious form. Dean was bleeding from far too many wounds. Sam had gotten here as fast as he could, but he hadn't been fast enough.

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008dkqg/)

_________

Sam sat by Dean's hospital bed, watching the machines attached to him, in helpless frustration. Earlier tonight, he'd killed Alistair. He was more powerful than he'd ever been, but he couldn't do a thing to help Dean. He felt pressure building along his temples and looked up to see Castiel outside of Dean's room. Sam's anger came faster than he could force it back down. If he could, he'd tear the angel apart. It was _his_ fault Dean was lying in this damn bed. Sam followed Castiel down the hall and glared at him. "Get in there and heal him. Miracle. Now."

"I can't." Castiel answered.

"You and Uriel put him in there --"

"No."

"-- because you can't keep a simple Devil's Trap together."

Castiel's eyes widened, "I don't know what happened. That trap...it shouldn't have broken. I am sorry."

"This whole thing was pointless. You understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers."

"Perhaps Alistair was lying." Castiel said.

"No, he wasn't." Sam snapped, and then he turned and walked back to Dean's room. Alistair didn't lie -- he couldn't lie. Not with Sam's power crushing him like a vice. Sam could force the truth out of demons if he really wanted to. He could do so much more to them, if he wanted to-- but he didn't. He just wanted to kill them.

Sam went back to his vigil at Dean's side and tried to stop dwelling on the angels, and their uselessness. His mind kept drifting -- to Ruby, of all things. Even though his flask was tucked away in his duffel bag in the Impala, he could smell the sulfur-scent of her blood. He remembered again how easily Alistair had died and felt another leftover wave of satisfaction come over him. He'd avenged Dean-- partially anyway. Lilith would be next. He'd been strong enough to kill Alistair, and soon, he'd be able to take down Lilith -- he was sure of it.

He glanced back up at Dean's face. He was still unconscious. Sam knew Dean needed to stay here at the hospital. He needed to rest since none of the angels would lift a holier than thou finger to help him. Anger flared up in him again at the thought. The angels were just as dangerous as demons. Worse, even. Maybe there was a way he could get strong enough to protect Dean from them, too. There had to be.

Sam shook his head again, trying to clear his thoughts. His mind was going in an uncomfortable loop. Worry about Dean, frustration at not being able to help him, the thrill of victory at Alistair's death and the hunger for more blood. Why could he still smell it? It didn't make any sense...

...and then his gaze landed on Dean's bandaged forearm. The bandage was nearly soaked through with red. Suddenly Sam knew -- without any doubt -- why he couldn't get the scent of demon blood out of his mind.

 _"No, Dean..."_ he whispered, but he couldn't help himself. He opened his mind just a tiny bit, the way he would to sense any other demon, and reached out towards Dean. He felt the same black coiling threads of rage and power that he'd felt in countless other demons, but they were in his brother. They _were_ his brother. Dean wasn't possessed. Sam could tell demons and human souls apart, well enough to identify Ruby or to recognize the same demon he'd encountered before and this, this _was_ his brother.

Dean's hand suddenly moved, yanking the tube from his mouth. He took a deep breath, turned and looked at Sam with black eyes. "Hey, Sammy."

Sam tried to answer but couldn't.

"I felt that, you know." Dean said smiling, "You need to work on your subtlety." He tilted his head to the side, "Huh. You look...different."

Sam swallowed, "I do?"

Dean nodded, and then laughed, "This is freaking you out, isn't it?" He closed his eyes, deliberately, and when he opened them again, slowly, they were a normal, human, shade of green. "Better?"

"Dean, I --"

"Sam, if you so much as _think_ about apologizing for any of this crap I'll break your nose." Dean sat up and ripped the needle from his arm. "The angels are playing us. Moving us around like goddamn chess pieces, and I'm sick and tired of it." He hopped off the bed and walked over to the chair in the corner where his clothes were lying, neatly folded.

Sam stood up. He felt like he should be helping, but he didn't know how.

"We'll hunt down Lilith ourselves. You and me."

Sam nodded. He'd wait until later to explain to Dean that Ruby had to be part of that equation too, because without her...he wouldn't be strong enough. As surreal as it was seeing Dean with black eyes, he still couldn't help but feel relieved that he was going to survive. Maybe now Dean would be more accepting of what Sam was doing -- what he had to do. Maybe this was, in some twisted way, a good thing.

Their lives were complicated.

 

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008f31t/)

_________

 

"Tell me how you did it." Dean said.

Sam startled awake. He'd started drifting off to sleep. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until they'd gotten back on the highway. "How I did what?"

"How you killed Alistair. Did you hurt him first?"

Sam looked at Dean, "How did you know I --"

"It was the only thing that was making you feel better, when you were sitting next to me in the hospital. I can't read you, not really, but _man_ were you broadcasting that kill." Dean laughed, "I'm pretty sure they heard you in the Pit."

Sam felt a weird mix of shame and indignation, "I had to kill him. After what he did to you, Dean. I had to."

Dean reached over and patted Sam on the shoulder. "Of course you did. I just wish I'd been there to see it. Did he scream?"

"Yes."

"Did he beg for you to stop?"

"No."

Dean smirked, "Killed him too fast. That's okay, we'll work on that."

Sam stared at Dean, "We'll work on it? You mean you're okay with what I'm doing -- with me using my powers?"

"You killed Alistair. You can kill Lilith. You can stop the friggin' Apocalypse. Yeah -- I'm on board."

Sam nodded, "Okay, but Dean -- you don't know everything about how my powers work -- what I have to do to get stronger."

Dean cocked an eyebrow at him, "Educate me."

 

 

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00081rrr/)

_________

"Ruby!" Dean yelled again, slamming the hotel room door shut behind him. "Ruby?!"

"Yes! We'll keep her with us -- just until we take down Lilith."

"You don't need her anymore, Sam."

"Of course I do, Dean. I need her blood to --"

"What -- is she the only demon walking the Earth?"

"No, but--"

"Exactly. There are plenty of other demons out there. Not to mention, you've got a perfectly good, perfectly _willing_ source right here."

Sam was so taken aback he froze where he stood.

Dean walked closer to Sam, shrugging off his jacket. "I mean it Sam, you've got me. I'll help you with this. I'll teach you, we'll practice together, and I'll give you what you need."

"Dean, no." Sam said, shaking his head, "I can't --"

"Why not? It's not gonna hurt me. I can keep this body going with a whole lot of damage now. Plus, I can get the blood back in a week or so. Just need to have a few burgers and plenty of fluids."

"Dean..."

Dean groaned, "Come on, Sam. We're going after Lilith! Together."

"We'll find some other way. Ruby can -- "

"I swear, Sam, the next time I see that bitch I'm gonna tear her head off. You think she's been helping you?!"

"She _has_ been."

"Right, by giving you just enough of her blood to get by for what -- a couple of days? Of course she helped you out with Alistair, but I'm willing to bet you won't hear from her for weeks, and you want to know why?"

Sam's lips curled in a sneer, "Why?"

"Because she needs you to need _her_. She's using you, Sam. I'm telling you, she's up to something."

Sam nodded, "What makes you so sure?"

Dean's eyes flashed black, "I know how she thinks." He walked over to his duffel bag and pulled out a small knife.

Sam took a step back when he realized what Dean was planning.

Dean ran the blade across his wrist as he moved closer and closer to Sam.

Sam couldn't take his eyes off the thick red drops that were welling up where Dean had cut his skin. "Dean, what's the rush?" he asked, resisting the impulse to grab Dean's arm and bite down.

"You killed Alistair. Any demons who didn't see you as a threat before -- they do now. They're gonna come for you, and when they do, you need to be ready. You need to be as strong as you were tonight -- stronger -- all the time. It's the only way we're gonna survive long enough to take Lilith down." Dean raised his bleeding wrist up to Sam's mouth.

Sam closed his eyes and tried not to think about the blood, but he couldn't help it. The smell was everywhere, and he wanted it, he _needed_ it. His head was pushed forward onto Dean's bleeding arm, and he drank.

_________

 

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00082x2g/)

 

The blood always made time meaningless. Sam never knew how long Ruby would let him drink before gently pulling away, but tonight he waited for Dean to do the same and it never happened. A flicker of awareness disrupted his blissful haze and he wondered why Dean hadn't stopped him yet. He pulled back from Dean's wrist and looked at him questioningly. "Your blood...it's different -- stronger."

"Huh." Dean smirked, "And here I thought I was about as low level as you could get, for a demon."

Sam looked at Dean's black eyes, and suddenly he understood, "You aren't possessing anyone. It's your soul, your body, your _blood_."

"Quit stalling." Dean said, and shoved Sam back down onto the cut.

Time disappeared again for a while.

Later, when the flow of blood stopped, Sam heard Dean say, "That's it. This well has run dry."

Sam pulled back and blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light of the hotel room. Everything looked so bright -- overly saturated, the colors too rich to be real.

Dean got up and walked over to the sink. He let the water run for a few seconds, and came back over to the table. "Don't worry, I'll have more for you soon." Dean handed Sam a wet washcloth, "Clean up, and get some sleep."

Sam nodded, took the washcloth and stood up. His heart still felt like it was going double-time -- the blood always made his pulse race, and just standing gave him a brief sense of vertigo, but beyond that he felt good -- he felt _strong_ , much stronger than he'd been when he'd killed Alistair. He walked over to the mirror and stared at himself. His face was smeared with blood, and there were thick red trails where the blood had run down his neck.

"Can you even see what you look like? What you _really_ look like?" Dean asked, walking up behind him.

Sam tilted his head a bit in confusion.

Dean rested his chin on Sam's shoulder, peering into the mirror beside him, "Try to read me, right now. You need to know."

"I don't know how --" Sam started.

"Then learn." Dean said, "Man, she really didn't teach you shit, did she?"

Sam closed his eyes and focused on Dean. He wrapped his mind around Dean as gently as he could and _looked_.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Dean -- his brother, same as always, but underneath that was another image -- still his brother, but his soft smile was a wicked sneer, his eyes were solid black and held the promise of pain.

Sam turned his gaze to his own face and gasped. His face was still covered in blood, but his skin looked like it was glowing. He lifted his hand and could see liquid fire flowing through his veins, running through his whole body. His eyes looked like two miniature suns and all of him radiated power.

"That's what they'll see when they look at you. That's why you need to keep your strength up. You think any of these spineless bastards are gonna lift a finger against someone like you?"

Sam's gaze drifted and he noticed Dean's hand on his shoulder. There was still blood on his fingers.

 

 

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00084wth/)


	2. Chapter 2

Hours later, Sam woke up to the smell of egg and sausage. He blinked in confusion and rolled over in his bed towards the sound of crinkling paper bags.

Dean smiled at him and put the bags on the table. "Morning, sunshine. I got us breakfast." He headed out the door again, saying, "Back in a minute with the rest."

Sam stared at the door for a few seconds before his stomach commanded him to go to the table. He could barely remember the last time he'd eaten. He unwrapped one of the egg sandwiches and took a huge bite.

The door swung open again forcefully, and Dean snapped, "Hey! That's mine."

"You bought four of them!"

"Yeah, and they're mine! Plus, you'll spoil your appetite." Dean said and flung the huge sack he was carrying onto his bed.

The sack twitched and Sam heard the muffled sound of screaming. He dropped his sandwich and jumped out of his chair, knocking it over. "What the hell?"

"What? I got you breakfast too."

"You...Dean, where'd you find this guy?" He eyed the sack warily, "I'm not gonna just drink from random possessed people!"

Dean smirked at him, "I know that, because I know you, and since I know you...I got someone I knew you wouldn't have a problem with." Dean yanked the sack towards him, dragged the bottom of it over the edge of the bed so it was sitting, and opened the drawstring at the top. He pulled the sack down, exposing the man's head, neck and shoulders. He was gagged, his eyes were black and he glared at Dean, "Meet Billy Colver -- sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murder of four people. The demon riding him's killed plenty more. Billy broke out of Wyoming State Penitentiary three days ago. Didn't get very far though, thanks to our friend here."

Sam took a few steps closer to Dean and looked at the man, who turned his black eyes towards Sam. Within seconds, his expression shifted from anger to terror.

"You need to practice, Sam, and I know you're not gonna want to do that with me. See if you can read him, see what else you can do to him. " Dean plopped down in the chair by the table and unwrapped another one of the egg sandwiches. "Then drain him."

Sam grabbed the chair he'd knocked down and turned it so he could sit across from the demon. He looked him in the eyes, and felt for the separation between the demon and Billy Colver. They were both awake and they were both terrified. Sam pushed the demon aside a bit, clamped his will around it until it was silenced, and focused on Billy. Billy's eyes were pale blue and wide. Sam stared at him and started to pull at his thoughts. Billy trembled violently as Sam played back the man's memories like a recording. Three minutes later, blood started to trickle from Billy's nose. Sam sat back in his seat and let the demon take over the host again. Turning to Dean, Sam said, "He didn't kill four people. He killed six. Two of them were kids."

Dean huffed and took another sip of his coffee before saying, "Told you." He looked over at Billy and added, "I think you crushed his brain."

Sam frowned, "I need more practice."

"Yup. And you need three square meals a day."

Sam stood up and walked over to his duffel bag. He pulled out a knife and went back to his seat across from Billy. Black eyes stared up at him and he heard the demon try to talk through the gag. Sam slid his knife under the gag, cut it off and said, "Speak."

The demon's eyes darted nervously from Sam to the blade and back. "I'll tell you what you want to know, okay?"

"Damn right you will." Dean said from the table, with a chuckle.

"What do I want to know?" Sam asked the demon, leaning towards him a bit.

"Lilith. Where she is."

Sam's lips twitched into a smile, "You know where she is?"

"I know where she was. She might not be there anymore, but -- "

"Then what good does that do me, exactly?" Sam asked and pushed the tip of his knife forward just a bit. It cut into the hollow of Billy's throat and a drop of blood welled up around it. Sam stared at the drop and heard himself make a low, growling noise. He wanted to push the knife further in, but he needed to practice more first -- just a little.

"She was in Death Valley --"

Dean laughed from behind them, "Oh come on. At least try to sound like you're not lying."

"I'm not lying! She was breaking a seal --"

Sam pulled the knife back towards him and closed his eyes. He had to stop thinking about the drop of blood slowly rolling down Billy's neck. He had to focus. He reached out for him, wrapped his own mind around the demon's and peered inside. "Tell me where she is."

"She was in Death Valley --" The demon said, and then he started screaming.

"Where is she _now_?" Sam asked in a low voice. He searched the demon's thoughts but found nothing useful. This one had never even seen Lilith. He'd heard another demon mention Lilith was in Death Valley and hightailed it out of California minutes later. Sam let out a sigh and stopped flaying the demon's mind.

"I -- I don't know." the demon said frantically, "I'd tell you if I did. Please -- if you let me go, I'll track her down. I'll find her for you. I can _help_ you."

Sam smirked, "You're right about that." He ran his blade across Billy's jugular, slicing it open, and closed his mouth around the cut. Blood flooded his tongue, and he lost himself for a while in bliss and power.

"Whoa! Easy killer!" Dean yelled minutes later.

Sam drew back slowly from the flow of blood, and turned his head towards Dean. The curtains were on fire. So was part of the wall. "Did...I?"

Dean nodded and grinned at him, while he used his jacket to put out the flames closest to him, "I'm proud of you Sammy, real proud -- but try not to burn the whole place down, okay?"

"I'll get some water." Sam said, and started to get up. He looked back at Billy and the trickle of blood running down his neck.

"Nah. I got it. Finish your breakfast. Just -- keep focusing on the demon -- please."

Sam nodded and fell back onto his seat. He leaned forward again and drank deep. He concentrated on the terrified demon inside. Billy was long gone. Sam wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but he was pretty sure he'd killed him. He hadn't even noticed him die.

The demon made a last ditch effort to struggle against Sam, but Sam cut him off from the host body. The demon was trapped inside the flesh with no control, no escape, and all of Sam's attention focused on him.

Sam felt power building in him again and aimed it carefully at the demon. He pushed his will through the host body and forced all the blood that was left up and out through the cut in Billy's neck. He swallowed the last mouthful and pushed just a tiny bit at the quivering remnant of the demon's soul. It burst into golden flame and was devoured, along with the host body. Sam ran his hand across his mouth and looked at the pile of ash at his feet.

Dean walked up next to him and said, "That was pretty damn cool. I'll go get the dustbuster."

_____

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00089e8p/)

Dean pulled the Impala to the side of the road and climbed out. He walked through the empty field and looked down at his feet when the grass started making crunching noises. There was a trail of brittle, dried grass cutting straight through the field. Dean followed it for a while, thinking it looked almost scorched. After a few more steps, he stopped walking and put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "What are you doing out here, Sam?"

Sam turned to look at Dean, and smiled, "I can see them. I can see where they've been."

"Where who's been?" Dean looked around, but couldn't see anything besides grass. The sun was high overhead, and his sunglasses weren't helping much. "How did you even get out here? I didn't see any other cars. I didn't even hear you leave -- I went to take a leak, came back out and you were just gone."

" _Vincent_ , the demon that was in Billy Colver -- I read his mind." Sam turned around and pointed out into the distance, "He passed a group of demons on his way through Rawlins. I can see where they were, where they went. They leave these tiny, little trails of energy behind...like threads. I feel like I could almost...reach out and pull them back."

Dean raised his eyebrow, "You think you can?"

Sam shook his head, "Not all of them -- not yet, but soon." Sam started heading towards the Impala, "Besides, there's only one demon I want to talk to right now."

_____

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008edqp/)

 

Ruby's eyes widened when she saw Sam and Dean. "How did I get here? Did you -- did you _summon_ me?"

"What's the matter, bitch? Catch you at a bad time?" Dean said, glaring at Ruby. He pushed off the wall and walked closer to where Sam was standing.

"Dean -- what the hell happened to you?" Ruby asked, swallowing.

"I figured it was time for a career change." Dean said and his eyes went black.

Ruby turned to Sam but didn't meet his eyes. She stared at his hands instead.

Sam laughed softly, "You know, I gotta say -- I was expecting some kind of acknowledgement for taking down Alistair. A card, or a fruit basket, or maybe just a damn phone call, but -- nothing? That's cold. Makes a guy think you don't care."

"Sam, I -- " Ruby started. She looked up at Sam's eyes and then back down, "Taking down Alistair -- you know how grateful I am, but I've been tracking Lilith -- "

"Really?" Sam said flatly.

"Of course!" Ruby snapped, but there was an edge of panic in her voice. She forced herself to look Sam in the eyes. "What else would I have been doing?!"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know." Sam said. He flicked two fingers vaguely in her direction and she flew against the far wall.

Ruby hung, suspended by Sam's will, and looked at the brothers with fury and fear. "What the Hell is your problem?" she growled.

Sam walked over to where Ruby was, and leaned against the wall next to her. He'd pinned her high enough that they were at eye-level. He turned Ruby's head towards him and looked her in the eyes.

Ruby let out a gasp, and started trembling.

Dean spun around and walked to his bed, rummaging through the bottles of whiskey lying next to it. He came back a minute later holding two large, empty bottles.

"S -- Sam." Ruby said, fighting to speak.

Sam looked at her sadly and brought his finger up to her lips. "You don't get to talk anymore. But you do get to tell me everything." Sam ran his hand down Ruby's cheek and forced her mind open.

Dean kneeled next to Ruby's legs and cut a neat line down her right pant-leg. He pulled the denim apart, folded it back, and sliced into her femoral artery, holding the bottle under the cut. "Don't mind me. I know you're busy. Just want to make sure we don't let the useful part go to waste."

Ruby didn't even acknowledge Dean. Her eyes were wide open and locked on Sam's.

Sam sorted through Ruby's thoughts with an oddly detached thoroughness. She'd been lying to him -- about nearly everything. She hadn't escaped from Hell, she'd been set free. She was working for Lilith, and Lilith was trying to free her God. Everything Ruby had told Sam, everything she'd done, had been done in Lucifer's name. She'd make sure Sam would kill Lilith and in so doing, free the Devil.

He wasn't terribly shocked by her betrayal, really. When he'd pulled her into their room she'd been terrified, and that spoke volumes. For the moment, he was filled with more sorrow than rage.

All her memories of him poured out and he relived them with her -- the first time they kissed, the first time they fucked. With her, he didn't have to hold back -- he didn't have to worry about hurting her, or about going too far. She never stopped him, never made him hold back, no matter how harshly he pushed or pulled, how tightly he held her, or how hard he bit down on her skin.

One night, when he was lost in rage and self-disgust he bit down so hard he drew blood, and as that first drop hit his tongue, he knew peace again for the first time in months. His headache, brought on by far too many failed attempts at pulling a demon earlier that night, faded away. Nothing hurt anymore. He should have let go of her then, he should have pulled back the instant he tasted iron, but it felt so _good_ and there was nothing good left in his life.

Her blood took the pain away and it pulled his power back to the surface. He'd spent so many years burying everything about himself that wasn't human, but now it came roaring back to life -- lighting up his mind, heightening his senses and making him strong. It made him _powerful_ , and he was so very sick of feeling weak.

His memory of her blood mixed with her memory of his first bite. She'd had to fight to hide how happy she was. _This_ was the moment she'd worked towards. Even if everything else failed -- if Sam caught on to her, if he killed her -- it didn't matter because he'd tasted her blood. No matter what happened next, he'd come back for more. He could fight it as much as he wanted, but the _need_ would never go away. Azazel had given Sam his first taste, and Ruby had awoken his hunger. She could feel it take a hold of Sam, a hold that grew stronger every time he drank from her.

The night he'd gone to kill Alistair was the first time she'd ever had to force him to stop. He'd latched onto her wrist with a desperate hunger -- determined not to fail. He'd taken more than he needed to bring Alistair down, and part of her had wanted to let him keep going -- see how strong he'd be after he took every last drop, but it was just too dangerous. She couldn't risk losing control, not so close to the end. If she lost control, she'd lose Sam's trust...and then she'd lose him.

There was a part of Sam, as much as he didn't want to admit it, that had loved Ruby. She was a demon, and he knew he'd been a fool for letting himself think that they could have anything so human. The odd part was, she _did_ care for him. For all her betrayal, she firmly believed that Sam would understand in the end -- that he'd come around and thank her for everything she'd done.

Her knowledge about Lilith was frustratingly limited. Lilith purposefully kept her from knowing too much precisely because she'd expected something like this. Sam understood now why Ruby hadn't taught him how to read minds. It was too risky. Plus, he'd been too ashamed of being inhuman to push for anything more than becoming a weapon against demons. Sam sighed heavily and pulled his hand away from Ruby. He glanced down at Dean, who had nearly filled the second bottle.

"Need me to move?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded, "Probably best." He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Ruby's and whispered, "Good bye." Ruby's eyes lit up white-gold as she burned, inside and out. Sam stayed where he was as bits of her skin started to turn to ash and flake off. He kissed her charred lips one last time as she broke apart.

In her last moments, Ruby was filled with more calm and peace than she'd felt in centuries. Sam's power burned through her -- fire purifying every last part of her soul. She couldn't feel the pain anymore, maybe because Sam didn't want her to...though that was probably just wishful thinking on her part. She felt a swell of pride at how far he'd come. He'd go so much further, now that he'd stopped fighting what he was -- who he was meant to be. She just wished she'd be there to see. Part of her had always known that she wouldn't live through this. What she'd done -- what she'd dedicated herself to -- was too important, too _sacred_ for self-preservation to come into play. Sam kissed her lips and as Ruby's eyes started to burn she looked at him, one last time, and saw _Lucifer_.

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008aszy/)  
_____

 

"Lucifer? Seriously?" Dean asked again.

Sam nodded.

"We kill Lilith, we free Lucifer?"

"Not exactly. If she cracks open sixty-five seals -- then, when we kill her, we set Lucifer free." Sam stood up, "Which means we have to kill her now."

Dean nodded, " We have to find the bitch and take her down before she gets the chance." He walked over to his bed and started packing his duffel bag.

Sam turned towards the door, narrowed his eyes and said, "We have company."

The door flew open and two demons walked into the room.

"Delivery!" Dean chuckled, as the door slammed shut.

The taller one leered at Dean and said, "Well how about that. Here we were, pissed you stole Ruby out from under us, but you...the bounty on your heads is _way_ higher."

"Is that a fact?" Sam asked. He smirked as he flung the two demons across the room, and pinned them to the wall. "Dean, why don't you start packing the car. I'll be out in a few."

"Sounds like a plan, Sammy." Dean said, and went back to filling his duffel bag.

Sam walked over to the demons. "You killed your hosts. That's unfortunate -- even more so for you." He looked from one to the other, slowly, and asked, "Where's Lilith?"

The demon Sam was closest to answered, "South of us. Maybe New Mexico."

"Maybe?" Sam asked, walking closer to him. He put his hand on the demon's shoulder. "I need you to be a little more specific." The demon moaned in pain as Sam's will sunk its teeth into his soul.

"He doesn't know. _We_ don't know!" said his companion, frantically, "We just heard she was in California and she was heading east but sticking to the south. That's all we know. I swear."

"Hmm." Sam said, "That's not a lot." He sighed, "Well I guess we're done then. I'm going to scoop out your minds anyway, because I have to be sure -- but don't worry, you probably won't even notice." The demon Sam was next to let out another sharp hiss as his throat split open. Sam leaned down and drank.

The door opened and shut again as Dean headed out to the car with both of their bags.

Sam dug through the demon's thoughts as he drank. It was terrified, it didn't want to die, and it knew next to nothing about Lilith. It had heard plenty of stories about her from other demons though, and it knew some of the demons that were close to her.

Sam wanted to find a demon from Lilith's inner circle. Not just to question them about her, but so he could get a read on how strong Lilith really was. He had to be absolutely sure he was strong enough to kill her. He knew he was much, much stronger than he'd been when he killed Alistair. His powers were not just growing but expanding. He could sense demons now. On the edge of his mind, he felt them, all around him -- from miles and miles away.

As he finished draining the demon he'd been holding and started on the other, he let his mind search for more demonic energy. He could see so many of them -- flickers of their power all through the state and further away. Soon -- very soon, he'd be strong enough to sense Lilith, but he had to make sure he'd be strong enough to kill her too. If he could sense her, she could sense him, and she'd know he was coming for her.

Sam felt his power crest again -- there was so much of it, he felt like the room they were in couldn't possibly contain him. Above his head, the light fixture shattered, and distantly he heard the sound of pipes bursting.

He drank down the second demon as quickly as he could, and couldn't help but laugh when he let go. He felt euphoric and so powerful that he wasn't the slightest bit surprised the room looked the way it did. He would have been more surprised if it had stayed in tact.

Dean smiled at Sam when he took his seat next to him in the Impala.

"We should go." Sam said, "The room is on fire."

"Okay then." Dean said, and they headed out onto the highway. The sun dipped below the horizon behind them, shifting the sky from red to purple.

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008bb1p/)  
_____

"Sam, no. No way in Hell am I driving my baby in there."

Sam sighed, but smiled fondly at Dean, "Fine. Pull over. You know...it might be safer for you if you just wait for me out here. I don't know if I'll be able to -- "

"Not gonna happen. We're in this together." Dean pulled onto the side of the road and stopped the car. "So, what -- are we just gonna walk in?"

"No." Sam said, placing his hand on Dean's shoulder.

Everything went black, and Dean felt himself being _pulled_. When he could see again, he was in the main cellblock of Wyoming State Penitentiary. Three correctional officers were on the floor, unconscious.

The inmates took one look at the two intruders and started shouting and whistling.

"Quiet." Sam said, taking a seat in the middle of the room. The prisoners all fell silent and stopped moving. They stood -- awake, but completely motionless.

 _"What are you doing, Sam?"_ Dean whispered.

Sam didn't answer. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and barely moved for the next three minutes.

Just when Dean was about to lose his patience, Sam opened his eyes again. A dozen of the cell doors opened.

"You've been judged and found innocent. Leave. The doors are open. No one will stop you."

Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise, but stood aside as one of the inmates woke out of his stupor, and skittishly ran out the open cellblock door. Within seconds, the other freed prisoners followed his example.

Sam stood up and looked at the rest of the cells. There were at least four dozen inmates left. He turned to look at Dean and said, "You might want to stand back a bit."

Dean humored Sam and took a few steps back.

Sam raised one arm in the air, his hand reaching towards the ceiling. After a few seconds, there was a deep rumbling noise from all around them. Sam pulled his hand back down, made a fist, and the whole room filled with an enormous cloud of demon smoke.

For a few minutes, Dean couldn't see anything through the cloud of smoke and power. When the air cleared, a sea of black eyes stared back at him. All of the inmates had been possessed. Their cells had opened, but they stayed where they were, waiting.

Sam turned slowly and looked at all of them. He reached his hand out towards the cell across from him. The demon inside walked out of his cell, over to Sam and fell to his knees. Sam pushed his head to the side, and watched his throat split open. He pulled the demon to his feet, latched onto his neck, and drank in his blood and his thoughts.

Dean watched Sam go through five demons, then ten. It seemed like he was draining them faster and faster as he went. Dean spent a few minutes contemplating how that was even possible, physically. All that liquid had to go somewhere...didn't it? Sam barely took a break in between demons anymore. Before he finished draining one, the next one was already waiting, neck bared, eyes open and welcoming death. Above them, the lights started to sputter and die. The room wasn't getting dimmer though, it was getting unbearably bright -- flooded with Sam's power to the point where Dean had to turn away. Even with his eyes closed, the afterimage of Sam shining as bright as the sun was burned so deeply into Dean's retinas, it took him several minutes to realize that Sam had taken pity on him. When Dean turned back to Sam, he saw only his brother -- his tall, floppy-haired, ordinary-looking brother. He would have looked convincingly human too, if it wasn't for the demon he was devouring.

Somewhere around the fifteenth demon or so, Sam made a contented sort of humming sound that reverberated through the walls oddly. Dean felt it rattle his bones, and cocked his head, wondering if he should take a few more steps back.

When he'd gone through more than twenty demons, Sam stopped, and took a few long, deep breaths. On his last exhale, the walls began to crumble, and the bars on some of the cells started to glow bright orange. He turned to Dean and said, "You need to leave. Go. _Now._ "

"Sam --"

" **Now!** " Sam said again and flung his hand out toward Dean.

Dean landed on his ass, in the dirt. He was next to the highway, a few feet away from the Impala. "Son of a bitch!" he said, getting up. He tried to will himself back into the prison -- struggling to remember the sensation of being torn through space. It wasn't something he'd ever practiced as a demon, though -- certainly not while in a body. After his few meager attempts did nothing but give him a headache, he gave up and started running back up the road. He ran as fast as he could, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the whole building fill with a white light so blinding he had to cover his eyes.

[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00085gaw/)


	3. Chapter 3

The light finally faded, and Dean was left standing on the highway under the dark, night sky.

"Hey, Dean." Sam said from behind him.

Dean jumped an inch or so off the ground and spun to look at Sam. "Sammy. You had me worried for a minute there -- thought you went supernova."

Sam stared at Dean serenely, but didn't respond.

"What was that light-show all about?"

"I killed an angel."

"Oh." Dean cleared his throat, "Anyone we know?" Dean felt a familiar pulling sensation and closed his eyes out of reflex. When he opened them again, he was behind the wheel of the Impala. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and started the car. "That's a pretty handy trick."

"I'll teach you some time. Right now, you need to go back to Bobby's."

"Bobby's? Wait -- what do you mean 'I need to' -- where are you going?"

"I'm going to go kill Lilith. I need you to stay with Bobby -- keep him safe."

"You think he's just gonna welcome me back with open arms? Sam, I'm a _demon_." Dean frowned when he realized he felt regret. He wouldn't be welcomed back by Bobby ever again.

"He doesn't need to know you're there. Just watch him. Both sides are trying to bring the Apocalypse on, both sides are trying to stop me. They'll use anyone I care about to distract me. I know you can defend yourself, but Bobby can't."

"So the angels -- "

"They want Lucifer freed as much as Lilith does." Sam smirked, "The angel that came for me -- called me an abomination." Sam turned towards Dean. Even though he was shielding Dean from seeing his power, a sliver showed through. His eyes were glowing with pale yellow and white light. "He tried to _smite_ me. He laid his hand on my head and sent the power of Heaven to burn my soul...and all it did was _tickle_."

"You killed an angel, Sam. That's...I mean, can any other demon do that?"

Sam laughed, "No. Then again, I'm not a demon." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a long, silver blade. "This was the angel's blade. Take it. It's the only weapon that'll kill them. Well...besides me."

Dean eyed the blade and nodded, "Thanks. What about Lilith? You ready to take her on?"

"Lilith." Sam grinned at Dean, and Dean felt the temperature in the car plummet. "Lilith will try to bargain with me. Then, when I give her a taste of how much power I really have, she'll fall to her knees, press her forehead to the earth and beg me to show mercy."

Dean was still nervous about Sam facing Lilith, but it was more than that. He wanted Lilith to suffer. He wanted to be there, he wanted to make her pay, and he wanted to watch her die.

Sam frowned and added, "Dean -- I'm sorry, I'm being selfish."

"You are?"

"Lilith. You want payback. You want to carve her to pieces and see me tear the life out of her." Sam shook his head, "You have every right. I'll bring you to us as soon as I've got her bound."

Dean didn't even see Sam leave. Suddenly, he was just alone in the Impala, driving to Sioux Falls. He turned on the radio and sang along with Zeppelin.

_____

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00086bsr/)  


Dean parked down the road from Bobby's and walked to the salvage yard. He tried to open all his senses, searching for any nearby threats, but he didn't need to look very hard. In the middle of Bobby's scrapyard were three demons.

Two of the demons were fighting each other, so Dean took out the third -- stabbing him in the throat with Ruby's knife. He had a brief moment of annoyance when he realized he didn't have an easy way to drain the blood and bring it back to Sam. He could grab a bottle from the Impala...but he still had the other two demons to take care of first.

The larger of the two remaining demons grabbed the other one from behind, forced its mouth open, dropped something inside and then ran. Dean dodged just in time, and got out of the path of the ensuing explosion. Demons might not have an easy way to kill each other, but having their vessel blown up by a grenade was a guaranteed method of making the demon leave, at any rate.

The black smoke fled from the tattered corpse and disappeared into the night.

Dean stared at the remaining demon and asked, "You two have a misunderstanding?"

The demon smirked and said, "Yeah. He was gonna kill Bobby Singer. Can't let that happen."

"Is that so?"

"I'm going to prove to Sam Winchester that some of us can be more to him than food."

Dean arched an eyebrow at the demon. "What about Lilith?"

"Lilith rules by fear -- because she's the strongest." The demon scoffed, "She's not the strongest anymore. Sam is. If you're smart, you'll get on his good side too."

Dean laughed, "Oh, I'm on Sam's side. He sent me here to make sure Bobby was safe."

The demon smiled, "Then...you know him? Maybe you could put in a good word for me?"

"Sure, man." Dean smirked and envisioned slicing the demon's throat before throwing him at Sam's feet.

A sound -- a scream of rage and triumph -- cut through the air and they both turned towards the sky.

"He found her." The demon said, in awe.

"He found Lilith." Dean said, but he was already alone. "Dammit!" He tried to will himself to Sam again, concentrating as hard as he could.

_____

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008gykd/)  


When Dean opened his eyes again, he was looking at Sam, or rather -- he was looking at Sam's feet, which were dangling over the rock ledge he was sitting on. "Hey, Sam." he said, grinning up at his brother.

Sam leaned forward and smiled at Dean. His mouth was smeared with blood, and his eyes were a brilliant white-yellow. "Dean. Don't worry -- I only took a little taste." He wiped his hand over his mouth, "Well, more than a little. I'll wait until you're done with her to take the rest. She's bound -- she can't hurt you..." Sam's smile widened and he bared his teeth, "but you can hurt her. All you want."

Dean turned to look for Lilith and noticed where they were. Lilith was lying in a shallow pool of water. Ten feet beyond her were a few demons, including the one from Bobby's yard, watching. They were staring at him -- at something just to his left. Dean looked to his side, slowly, and saw a massive lion staring back at him. Dean jumped back about a foot in surprise and took in his surroundings. They were in a zoo from the looks of it. In the lion's den, or enclosure, or whatever they called it. Sam was sitting up by the lions' 'caves,' and their demon audience was clustered near the fence at the border of the enclosure. Lilith was lying in what was probably the lions' pool of drinking water.

Sam laughed from behind him. "They won't hurt you Dean, don't worry. They _owe_ me."

"Come again?"

" _The lamb shall feast on the lion, and the lion shall know fear._ " Sam reached his hand out to his right, and another lion stood up next to Sam. It had been on the ledge next to him the whole time, just out of sight. The lion rubbed his nose against Sam's hand and plopped down by his side -- resting its huge head on Sam's lap. "Lilith was trying to break a seal. But I _like_ lions. So I stopped her."

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008c35y/)  


Dean turned back towards Lilith and eyed the lion warily as he walked past it.

The water Lilith was lying in was bubbling and hissing softly. As Dean got closer he could hear her making soft, whimpering noises. Dean stared at Sam, asking, "Holy water? I thought that wouldn't work on someone like her."

Sam made a pleased humming noise, "Normally it wouldn't, but then -- I'm the one who blessed that water."

"We're not exactly holy lately."

Sam laughed, "No. We're not." He gestured with his hand and the ground near Lilith caught fire.

In the light of the flame, Dean saw dark outlines of ash on the ground, and asked, "What are those...wings?"

Sam nodded, "It's what angels leave behind when they die."

Dean's eyes widened, "Geez. How many did you kill?"

"Two came to stop Lilith, and then three more came to stop me." From one moment to the next, Sam was suddenly standing right next to Dean, looking down at Lilith with him. Sam crouched next to Lilith and ran a finger down the side of her cheek. A fine cut opened where he'd touched her, and Sam ran his finger back up again, wiping up the trickle of blood from her face. He brought his finger to his mouth and licked it clean.

"Sure you can wait 'til I'm done, Sammy?" Dean asked, smirking.

Sam laughed, leaned close to Dean's ear and said, "Yes. Angel blood tastes so much better than demon." Sam looked at Lilith again, and his eyes burned with white flame. "It packs a Hell of a punch too, doesn't it Lilith?"

Lilith screamed in agony and arched her back. The water she was lying in steamed and dissipated.

"Your turn." Sam said and took a few steps back, giving Dean room.

Dean kneeled by Lilith's side and pulled out Ruby's blade. He ran the edge slowly down the side of her neck, and over her chest. When he reached her stomach, he started to carve.

Sam sat on one of the nearby boulders. A lion cub jumped down off of the rock cliff where he'd been hiding and hopped onto Sam's lap. Sam scratched its ears and smiled, watching Dean work.

Lilith screamed as Dean dug the knife into her over and over again. After a few minutes, he sat back on his heels and let out a frustrated huff.

"Dean?" Sam asked, standing. The lion cub jumped down and flicked its ears, annoyed.

Dean stood up and Lilith gasped at the sudden absence of pain. He walked over to Sam and looked down at Ruby's knife.

Sam watched Lilith's blood drip off the blade, but tore his eyes away to look at Dean. "What's wrong?"

"Alistair was right. I can't get deep enough. He taught me so much, and I know exactly what I want to do to her, but up here..."

"Oh, is that all?" Sam smiled, "Not a problem." He walked over to Lilith, kneeled next to her and laid his hand on her forehead. She screamed -- a high, agonized sound, and her borrowed body started to flicker.

Dean watched, fascinated, as Lilith's true form started to seep through her meatsuit. He could see her soul leaking out of the host body and becoming tangible.

Sam sat up and said, "There. Now you can reach her." He picked up Lilith's limp arm -- Dean had cut a particularly deep gash near her wrist. Sam lifted the cut to his mouth and drank. Lilith's true form twitched where his lips touched her. Her soul looked like it was trying to get away from him.

Dean shook his head, but smiled fondly at Sam and sat across from him. He looked at Lilith, and saw _exactly_ where to cut next. He slid his fingers underneath her ribcage and the moment he touched Lilith's soul, he felt something snap -- the circuit completing. His soul, his _real_ self, felt alive again, felt _tactile_ again and it was eager to slice, rend and tear. Dean felt Lilith's soul growing weaker. Hell made a soul forget their humanity, but if you stripped away their power, any demon, no matter how strong, was still a human at the core -- twisted and corrupted, but just as easy to break. For eons, Lilith had cloaked herself in power, shielding herself from nearly everything, but all that power was being siphoned away drop by drop. Sam drank all of it in and Dean understood why Sam was draining her now. The weaker he made her, the more of her Dean could touch. Dean rested his head on Lilith's chest while his fingers closed around her heart, and looked at Sam.

For just an instant, Dean caught a glimpse of what Sam really looked like. He'd been shielding this entire time, projecting a much weaker image of himself, but Dean had seen the truth -- and it was terrifying. Sam's power was immense -- a maddening aurora of light and dark, interweaving and ever-changing. It stretched as far as Dean could see, reaching out in every direction, wrapping itself around every living thing near them, and keeping them entranced and docile. Sam's eyes were too bright, too magnificent, to look at -- they demanded unquestioning obedience, and promised _rapture, madness, death_ in return. Dean blinked as his vision faded back to what he was supposed to see, but Sam gave him a knowing look. Lilith would die tonight.

Before she died, though...Dean was going to carve Lilith apart, bit by bit, until he'd made a symphony of her screams.

 

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/00087dhr/)  
_____

 

The next few hours were perfect.

Sam had taken every drop of blood Lilith had to offer, even cleaning up what Dean had spilled in his previous attempts. He'd run his finger over a dried patch of blood and it would liquefy -- running up his finger in complete defiance of physics and biology. By the time Sam was done, Lilith was completely drained.

Luckily, Lilith didn't need blood to feel pain. Dean drew so much agony out of Lilith that Hell itself heard her.

The soft rays of dawn surrounded everything in a warm golden light -- Sam, the lions, Dean, his blade, and the tattered strips of Lilith he twisted between his fingers. The sun inched higher and fell on the dozens of corpses covering the path around the lion exhibit. Lilith had let the more curious of the zoo patrons watch her work before letting her demons decimate them.

Sam was lying on the ground, next to the sleeping lions, as content as they were. From one moment to the next, his expression shifted and he sat up. "Time's up, Dean."

Dean turned to Sam, "Why?"

"The angels have started breaking seals."

"Son of a bitch." Dean said, and untangled his fingers from Lilith's entrails.

Sam crouched down next to Lilith and Dean, and laid his hand on her cheek. "Of course they're only up to fifty-eight, and that's not gonna cut it, is it Lilith? How does it feel, knowing you failed?"

Lilith turned her gaze from Dean to Sam and answered, "You are so much like him. You're his -- you were _made_ for him...and all you've done is delay his return."

Sam sneered, and Lilith lit up with white fire. Her soul and body screamed one last time and then fell silent.

Dean looked down at the pile of ash and then back to Sam. "Thank you." he said, and relished the satisfaction he felt in the wake of her death.

Sam nodded at Dean, smiling. In his mind, Sam heard Lucifer scream in impotent fury. Sam shut out the Devil's rage easily, and sat with his brother in the quiet peace of the morning.

Their peace was short-lived.

There was a deafening sound -- dozens of massive wings beating at once, mixed with an ear-shattering high-pitched noise. Dean stood up and spun around, resisting the urge to cover his ears and huddle close to the ground. He'd known the angels would try to interfere. He'd expected this.

"Abomination. This ends now." said one of the angels. He was in a young vessel -- a man a few years younger than Sam.

Sam tilted his head, "You look familiar."

"My name is Michael. It's my destiny to kill Lucifer and his vessel. I don't really care in which order."

"I wasn't talking to you." Sam stared at the infuriated angel, reaching for the vessel's thoughts. "Huh. Well what do you know..."

Dean looked at Sam curiously.

"He's our half brother." Sam answered.

Michael's shoulders twitched in annoyance. He looked surprised and offended that Sam had read his vessel, against his will.

Dean snorted, "No shit."

Michael snarled, "It was supposed to be _you_ , Dean, but since you blackened your soul again all on your own, I can't use you as a vessel anymore."

"I still say we purify him. If we fail, he dies. If we succeed, you will have your true vessel, brother," said the angel standing next to Michael.

"Quiet, Raphael."

"Two arch-angels." Sam said, eyebrow raised. He stepped closer to Michael and looked down at him, "I wonder how you taste."

Michael drew a silver blade and brought it down, aiming for Sam's throat.

Sam smiled as metal hit metal.

Dean pushed Michael's blade back and away from Sam and growled, "Back off."

"Impudent piece of filth!" Michael snapped, and lunged forward again. Sam caught Michael's blade in his hand. The metal melted in his grip and Michael took a step back in shock.

"No weapons." said Sam. "Show me what you can _really_ do."

Next to Sam, Dean's blade met Raphael's. Dean felt reality shift just a bit as the air around his skin thickened and formed into something like armor.

Sam stopped shielding and his power flared into existence around them. The sky lit up, brighter than the sun. The few demons still watching disintegrated into dust. The army of angels behind Michael and Raphael all drew their swords.

Dean turned to Sam and grinned, saying, "This is gonna be fun."

 

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/monicawoe/pic/0008h622/)  


**Author's Note:**

> Go tell quickreaver how amazing her art is:  
> [art masterpost](http://quickreaver.livejournal.com/26629.html)


End file.
